ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

DEPARTMENT OF LAW

Heading the Department of Law, the County Attorney serves as legal advisor to the County Council, the County Executive, and other officers and agencies of Wicomico County Government, and is responsible for all legal affairs of the County's government (County Code, Art. V, sec. 507). Moreover, the County Attorney handles all civil litigation involving the County, its officers, or employees.

ETHICS COMMISSION

Annually, the Commission submits a report to the State Ethics Commission, showing County compliance with State law governing the public ethics of local officials with respect to conflicts of interest, financial disclosure, and lobbying (Code General Provisions Article, secs. 5-804 through 5-812).

The Commission is composed of three members appointed by the County Executive with County Council consent to three-year terms (County Code, sec. 37-2).

PUBLIC DEFENDER

For indigent defendants in Wicomico County, the District Public Defender provides legal representation, including related necessary services and facilities. The District Public Defender assures effective assistance and continuity of counsel to indigent accused taken into custody and indigent defendants in criminal and juvenile proceedings before Maryland courts (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 16-201 through 16-213).

STATE'S ATTORNEY

Starting in 1818, duties of the State's Attorney were first carried out by the District Attorney (Chapter 146, Acts of 1817). Appointed by the Governor in each judicial district, the District Attorney prosecuted cases on behalf of the State. By 1821, the District Attorney was renamed the Deputy Attorney and was appointed by the Attorney General (Chapter 126, Acts of 1821). The office of State's Attorney was first authorized in 1851 (Constitution of 1851, Art. V, secs. 1-5).

The State's Attorney prosecutes and defends, on the part of the State, all criminal cases in Wicomico County in which the State may be interested (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 15-101 through 15-109, 15-423).

In Salisbury, Maryland, the State's Attorney Office formerly was located in the Courts Building on Court Street. In March 2014, it moved to its present location at 309 East Main Street.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FATALITY REVIEW TEAM

The Team seeks to develop an understanding of the causes and incidences of deaths related to domestic violence in the county; and develop plans for and recommend changes within those agencies that members represent (Chapter 233, Acts of 2005; Code Family Law Article, secs. 4-701 through 4-707).

Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@maryland.gov

This web site is presented for reference purposes under the doctrine of fair use. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user.

Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!

[ Archives' Home Page || Maryland Manual On-Line || Reference & Research
|| Search the Archives || Education & Outreach || Archives of Maryland Online ]
Governor General Assembly Judiciary Maryland.Gov

© Copyright September 27, 2023 Maryland State Archives

WICOMICO COUNTY, MARYLAND